Railroads are heavily regulated and rules governing track safety call for visual inspections of track integrity on a frequent basis. When this visual inspection is performed, track workers are put in harm's way as they are working close to the rails or on the rails in many cases and may not have adequate warning when trains are approaching. In addition, trains often approach at speeds greater than the posted speed limits and, therefore, little time is given to the worker to clear the track.
Over the years, many railway workers have lost their lives in accidents that occur on the nation's heavy rail and commuter rail systems. Many railway workers have also been seriously injured. While rail transit remains among the safest modes of transportation for passengers, there is a concern about the escalating number of incidents involving transit employees nationwide. Recently, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) have uncovered data that shows a three-fold increase in the number of railway worker fatalities and a significant increase in injuries to railway workers. Each time a railway worker enters the job site, he or she is vulnerable to injury or death from a moving train.
Heretofore, there has been no automatic or systematic mechanism for the warning of workers near a railway. Failure to establish adequate work site clearance plans, failure to conduct adequate on-site track safety job briefings, failure of operators to follow speed restrictions, and failure of work crew leaders to remain alert at the site are all factors in this growing problem.